Tinun (Thai Ramen), Shibuya

OK, this is not about Shimokitazawa, but Shibuya is only one stop away by express train from Shimokitazawa, so that will be my first excuse. The second excuse is that I LOVE this place.

Tinun is a thai food restaurant chain which serves anything from noodle dishes to fried rice and curries. I once asked the smily probably-Thai staff what Tinun meant and they answered me "Ichiban" or number one in Japanese.

I'll be honest with you: I've never tried anything other than the below "Tom Yam Kung Ramen" but it's just SO good. It's nothing but some ramen noodles in a bowl of Tom Yam Kung (Thai Spicy Shrimp Soup) but oh my oh my, for anyone happening to like both dishes (like I do), the combination is lethal. And it's a very affordable ¥780.

I've tried this dish (I wouldn't be surprised if it were a Tinun original as I don't remember seeing this anywhere else before I first tried it there) in another Thai restaurant but it was a pale comparison. What makes the Tinun version so good is how very sour the soup is. I'm not sure whether it's lemon or lime or both that they put in the soup, but they must be putting a lot of it in there. They also manage to keep the delicately lemon-grassed flavored broth not too hot, which is wonderful as it lets you down the whole soup without having to a) sweat like a pig b) drink loads of water.

Toppings are kept simple with Moyashi (spout), chopped Coriander leaves, a slice of Chashu (Chinese style bbq pork). The yellow-colored straight and medium-width noodles seem to be Tamago-Men (added egg in the noodle batter) and they are in perfect harmony with the soup.

The place is small and you may have to queue a little bit around lunch time.

Tinun - Shibuya Dogenzaka is open from 11:00am to 23:00pm and is closed on Sundays.
Shibuya-ku, Dogenzaka 1-5-5
03-5459-2550
click here for a MAP

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